For Primarch and Primogenitor: Part 3

The Primarch Challenge

This week we continue to look at how Rogal Dorn measures up to his brother primarchs on the tabletop. In an effort to gain insight into which of his fellow primarchs Dorn can go the distance with and which ones land a quick TKO, we organized a brotherly brawl. The rules are as follows.

Dorn will fight each of his brother primarchs one on one throughout 10 different combats, as if they were participating in a challenge.

In 5 of those combats Dorn will get the charge bonus. In the other 5 combats, Dorn’s opponent will get the charge bonus.

Each combat will last until one primarch is defeated or until 12 rounds of combat have passed.

To ensure consistency between combats, Dorn wont use his situational abilities like Rampage and Reaping Blow.

This week we’ll see how Dorn faired against his next set of challenges: Angron, Roboute Guilliman, Mortarion, and Corvus Corax.

Rogal Dorn vs Angron

Having seen how his battle with Fulgrim turned out, I didn’t have high hopes for Dorn lasting long against Angron. While Dorn has more wounds and good staying power, The Red Angel’s shear volume of attacks is overwhelming.

In five combats in which Angron charges, Dorn wins 0/5. The average combat lasts for six rounds. Angron walks away from each fight typically taking two wounds.

In five combats in which Dorn charges, Dorn wins 0/5. The average combat lasts for four rounds. Angron walks away from each fight typically taking two wounds.

Takeaway: Dorn is brutally beaten down by Angron every time and it’s best to avoid The Red Angel at all costs.

Rogal Dorn vs Roboute Guilliman

I’ve always looked at Guilliman to be a copy of Dorn (or vice versa). Both primarchs are loyal, pragmatic, of a strategic mindset, and dedicated to the ideals of the imperial truth. On paper they have a similar stat line and comparable abilities. It stands to reason that the results would likely be close. However, The Master of Ultramar surprised me.

In five combats in which Guilliman charges, Dorn wins 1/5. The average combat lasts for eight rounds. The fights Guilliman wins, he walks away typically taking three wounds.

In five combats in which Dorn charges, Dorn wins 0/5. The average combat lasts for seven rounds. Guilliman walks away from each fight typically taking one wound.

Takeaway: Dorn’s battles with Guilliman are consistent in that while Dorn loses eventually, he stands a good chance of tying The Master of Ultramar up for more than half the game. In general, Dorn should avoid tangling with Guilliman, but it would be safe to engage during the last half of the game if needed.

Rogal Dorn vs Mortarion

While Dorn and Mortarion have similar offensive capabilities, The Reaper’s resilience was a deciding factor. With a higher toughness, more wounds, and a greater chance of recovery, Mortarion was difficult to outlast.

In five combats in which Mortarion charges, Dorn wins 1/5. The average combat lasts for seven rounds. Mortarion walks away from each fight typically taking three wounds.

In five combats in which Dorn charges, Dorn wins 1/5. The average combat lasts for seven rounds. The fights Mortarion wins, he walks away typically taking two wounds.

Takeaway: Dorn faired better than I anticipated, though not well enough to charge headlong into Mortarion every time. Dorn should avoid The Reaper where he can, but not be afraid to engage should the situation require.

Rogal Dorn vs Corvus Corax

On initial assessment, it seemed Dorn might fall quickly to Corax, as he had to Curze. However, while The Shadow Lord is equally hard to pin down, Corax’s 5+ invulnerable save makes him more fragile.

In five combats in which Corax charges, Dorn wins 2/5. The average combat lasts for five rounds. The fights Corax wins, he walks away typically taking three wounds.

In five combats in which Dorn charges, Dorn wins 1/5. The average combat lasts for seven rounds. The fights Corax wins, he walks away typically taking three wounds.

Takeaway: Like Curze, Corax’s ability to hit and run ensured he charged several times during each engagement, giving him a greater number of cumulative attacks throughout the challenge. While Dorn has a small change of defeating the Lord of Shadow, avoidance is preferred. However, considering Corax’s mobility, that choice won’t be up to Dorn.

Thanks for reading. We’ll finish part 4 with Dorn’s last set of challenges and we’ll see how he stacks up to Horus, Alpharius, Lorgar, and Vulkan. Check back next week to see the results.

To see how Dorn measured up to Fulgrim, Peturabo, Konrad Curze, and Ferrus Manus, check out last week’s post.